Australia’s live sheep shipments resume to Middle East

Live sheep industry figureheads are confident exporters will maintain high animal welfare standards after a more than three-month halt on shipments was lifted, reigniting the trade’s resumption.

Rural Export and Trading WA, a Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading Company subsidiary, loaded about 54,390 sheep onto the Al Messilah at the weekend before the vessel left Fremantle Port at 5.15pm on Monday.

The voyage, which is destined for Kuwait and United Arab Emirates, marked the first live sheep shipment from Australia after the Federal Government’s extended three-month standstill on the trade ended on Sunday.